I read this for the first time back in 1999, but have recently remembered it. I'm hoping some of you will find it interesting as well.
REFUSED
a psychological scrutiny of their motives
"I met Dennis at a hardcore show in Stockholm several years ago. Since then, through many trips to Sweden, I have gotten to know Dennis, David, Stone, and Jon quite well. There have been many late nights talking, afternoons playing disc golf, countless hours sitting around in Dennis' living room (which I have long since claimed as my own), and hard toad trips while on tour.
When they asked me to write a piece for this album I was surprised at their choice of person. They all know that I am not the biggest fan of the type of music that they play and I am definitely not experienced at writing liner notes. I may know little about music but I know a bit about what the people in the band have been doing, thinking, and experiencing since they made their last album. I suppose it it this that qualifies my thoughts on the matter as authoritative. What I feel that I am being asked to do is give a brief objective interpretation (if there can ever be an "objective" anything) of the underlying meaning behind a band like Refused releasing an album like this one. Now we shall see if I am up to the task at hand. To me this album is a reflection of tensions that exist within the band, or more to the point, most bands. These tensions are caused, in part, by diverging ideas, interests, and directions and, in part by the obligations and responsibilities which being in a band dictate. There are multiple creative elements in a band which all contribure their part towards the creation of the whole. However, each of these people lead different lives and thus is propelled by different influences. To understand the impact of these individual differences one must turn to the underlying reasons behind the band's very existence.
Initially, Refused came together with the common purpose of playing as a hardcore band. Getting the band up and running accomplished this. The commonality of initial purpose thus became obsolete to a certain extent. The initial purpose served as the adhesive and, when this dissolved, something further was required to insure cohesion. For some of the band members it is..."
(to be continued if anyone is interested. if not, then i'll spare myself the typing.)
REFUSED
a psychological scrutiny of their motives
"I met Dennis at a hardcore show in Stockholm several years ago. Since then, through many trips to Sweden, I have gotten to know Dennis, David, Stone, and Jon quite well. There have been many late nights talking, afternoons playing disc golf, countless hours sitting around in Dennis' living room (which I have long since claimed as my own), and hard toad trips while on tour.
When they asked me to write a piece for this album I was surprised at their choice of person. They all know that I am not the biggest fan of the type of music that they play and I am definitely not experienced at writing liner notes. I may know little about music but I know a bit about what the people in the band have been doing, thinking, and experiencing since they made their last album. I suppose it it this that qualifies my thoughts on the matter as authoritative. What I feel that I am being asked to do is give a brief objective interpretation (if there can ever be an "objective" anything) of the underlying meaning behind a band like Refused releasing an album like this one. Now we shall see if I am up to the task at hand. To me this album is a reflection of tensions that exist within the band, or more to the point, most bands. These tensions are caused, in part, by diverging ideas, interests, and directions and, in part by the obligations and responsibilities which being in a band dictate. There are multiple creative elements in a band which all contribure their part towards the creation of the whole. However, each of these people lead different lives and thus is propelled by different influences. To understand the impact of these individual differences one must turn to the underlying reasons behind the band's very existence.
Initially, Refused came together with the common purpose of playing as a hardcore band. Getting the band up and running accomplished this. The commonality of initial purpose thus became obsolete to a certain extent. The initial purpose served as the adhesive and, when this dissolved, something further was required to insure cohesion. For some of the band members it is..."
(to be continued if anyone is interested. if not, then i'll spare myself the typing.)
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